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No. 1 Squadron IAF

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No. 1 Squadron
Active
  • 1 April 1933 – May 1947
  • February 1953 – Present
RoleAir superiority
Interdiction
BaseAFS Gwalior
Nickname(s)Tigers
Motto(s)Ekta Mein Shakti
(Hindi: "Strength in Unity")
EngagementsHur's Operations NWFP
Burma Campaign
Operation Polo
Western Air War, 1965
Liberation War, 1971
Kargil War, 1999, Operation Parakram
Commanders
Current
commander		Group Captain Hemant Kumar
Notable
commanders		Subroto Mukerjee
Arjan Singh
Dilbagh Singh
Insignia
Identification
symbol		A Royal Bengal Tiger
Aircraft flown
FighterDassault Mirage 2000

No. 1 Squadron (The Tigers), the oldest squadron of the Indian Air Force operates as a multirole (air superiority and electronic warfare) unit. Part of 40 Wing of the Indian Air Force under Central Air Command, it is based at Maharajpur in Gwalior.[1]

History

[edit]

No 1 RIAF Squadron was established at Drigh Road, Karachi on 1 April 1933, with four Westland Wapitis and five pilots: the sixth was deemed too short.[1][2][3] The pilots included Subroto Mukerjee.[2]

In Sep 1937 the Squadron was inducted into operations in North West Frontier province. Mukerjee was awarded the India General Service Medal with the clasps 'North West Frontier 1936–37', and 'North West Frontier 1937–39'.[4] He was one of the three flying officers of the three flights of No. 1 Squadron.[5] On 15 February 1939, he was promoted to the rank of flight lieutenant.[6] He took command of the No. 1 Squadron on 16 March 1939, the first Indian officer to command a squadron. In June 1939, under Mukerjee, the squadron converted to Hawker Hart aircraft with a few Hawker Audax aircraft in its inventory.[7] He led the squadron into action at Miramshah in NWFP.[5]

In June 1939, the Squadron was re-equipped with Hawker Hart aircraft. In 1942, the Imperial Japanese forces occupied Burma. No. 1 Squadron of the Royal Indian Air Force was posted to Burma, and Majumdar reached Taungoo with his squadron on 31 January 1942. On the very next day, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force based in Mae Hong Son in Thailand bombed Taungoo, inflicting considerable damage. However, No. 1 Squadron, which had taken the precaution of dispersing and hiding their Lysanders, was unharmed. On one occasion Majumdar was forced down in the Shan jungles due to engine failure and managed to return to Lashio after a harrowing journey through dense forests. Majumdar was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, gazetted in the London Gazette of 10 November 1942.[8] During the Battle of Imphal, The Tigers were tasked to provide close air support to the 17th Indian division. Arjan Singh led No. 1 Squadron into combat during the Arakan Campaign in 1944.[9] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in June 1944.

In 1947 during partition, No 1 RIAF Squadron was allocated to Pakistan. Pakistan Air Force did not continue the lineage. On 26th January 1953, No 15 Squadron was renumbered as No.1 Squadron, IAF at Halwara, with Spitfires on its inventory under the command of Squadron Leader EJ Dhatigara with the Tigers heritage. On 15th February 1957, No.1 Squadron was redesignated as No.27 Squadron. A new squadron was raised at Kalaikunda with Mystere-IVa aircraft. Squadron Leader Dilbagh Singh made the first official sonic boom over India in New Delhi when the Mystere IV-A was showcased in a public demonstration.

This Squadron took part in the 1961 operation for Annexation of Goa with Mystere-IVa aircraft. In 1963, the squadron had moved to Adampur. In recognition of their contribution during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, the squadron received 1 MVC(Posthumous) and 3 Vir Chakra awards. On 18th October 1968, the Tigers, were presented the President’s Colours. During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the Tigers flew a total of 513 sorties. They received AVSM and 1 Vir Chakra award.The squadrom was relocated at Gorakhpur in Feb 1982. They moved further east, to Hashimara, in the eastern Dooars, in 1985. On 1st January 1986, the squadron moved to Gwalior and were equipped with Mirage-2000 aircraft. They have stayed there execpt for a temporary deployment to Ambala for Operation Safed Sagar.

The squadron successfully test fired a BVR MICA missile from a Mirage-2000 aircraft on 24 September 2016.[10]

Aircraft

[edit]
Aircraft From To Air Base
Pre-Independence (1933–47)
Westland Wapiti IIA May 1933 October 1941 Karachi[11][12]
Hawker Audax September 1939 December 1941 Peshawar
Harvard IIB October 1945 September 1947
Westland Lysander September 1941 July 1942
Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 October 1942 May 1943 Trichy
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB May 1943 August 1944
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC July 1944 May 1946 Imphal
Harvard IIB October 1945 May 1947 Peshawar
Spitfire VIII December 1945 May 1947
Post-Independence (1953–Present)
Spitfire XVIII February 1953 September 1953 AFS Halwara
Vampire FB52 March 1953 March 1957 AFS Palam
Dassault Mystère IVa July 1957 1963 AFS Kalaikunda
1963 June 1966 AFS Adampur
MiG-21 FL July 1966 February 1986
Dassault Mirage 2000 February 1986 Present AFS Gwalior

Commemorative Postal Stamp

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Commemorative stamp was released by India Post in 1993.

References

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  1. ^ a b Singh, Pushpindar. "No.1 Squadron". Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Home". www.oldcranwellians.info. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  3. ^ "The Royal Indian Air Force, 1932 – 1947". RAF Museum. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Air Marshall Subroto Mukerjee, OBE – The Saga of a Soaring Legend". indianairforce.nic.in. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b Abidi & Sharma 2007, p. 151.
  6. ^ "(400) – Air Force lists > Air Force list > Monthly > 1940 > May – British Military lists – National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk.
  7. ^ Singh 2002.
  8. ^ Sapru, Somnath (2014). Combat Lore: Indian Air Force 1930-1945. New Delhi: KW Publishers Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-83649-25-9.
  9. ^ "Arjan Singh, Indian Air Force Marshall and War Hero, Dies at 98". Loksatta. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  10. ^ "MICA Missile Firing by 'TIGER' Squadron of IAF". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  11. ^ "No.1 Squadron Winged Daggers". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  12. ^ Singh, Pushpinder (14 June 2017). "No.1 Squadron". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
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